Detective McDonald made many public appearances over the years, speaking of his faith as a Catholic and reminding people that if they wanted forgiveness, they had to show it to others. He constantly thanked God for sparing his life.

As newspaper columnist Richard Grenier mistakenly believed George Orwell wrote: “People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” This is why we laud and honor soldiers, police and security personnel for protecting our rights.

For many years, I never referred to police officers as “cops”, as my mother told me as a child it wasn't as respectful a term as “police officer.” And, for years, I've dutifully avoided the word. Having earned the friendship of many officers over the years, I came to realize that my mother's reverence for these men and women can still allow for the informal word to be used every now and again.

Detective Steven McDonald (1957-2017) was an NYPD cop who was shot on July 12, 1986.

The City stopped dead in its tracks when we heard the news. The attack left him quadriplegic.

Today, the City stopped once again. Steven McDonald died on January 10, 2017, after suffering a massive heart attack only a few days earlier. He died at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. He was 59.

McDonald was a native of Queens Village and grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, one of eight children of David McDonald, a police sergeant, and his wife, Anita.

They don’t come more impressive than Detective McDonald. He was a former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and a third-generation police officer. But even these accomplishments are nothing compared to what happened after he was shot.

Detective McDonald went far beyond these "merely" heroic actions and did something quite superhuman. He forgave Shavod Jones, the man who shot him.

On that hot summer afternoon in 1986, the 29-year-old Officer McDonald and his partner were on patrol in Manhattan's Central Park and approached the 15-year-old Shavod Jones and two of his friends, who were loitering near the boathouse at the northern end of Central Park. The officers wanted to question them about local bicycle thefts.

As he approached them, Officer McDonald noticed a bulge in one of the boy's socks. The policeman insisted on seeing it and was immediately shot three times. The first bullet hit right above his eye. The second hit his throat which resulted in the officer having difficulties with speech. The third bullet shattered his spine, paralyzing him from the neck down. The officer needed a ventilator for the rest of his life.

At the time of the attack, Officer McDonald had served on the Force for two years.

President Ronald Reagan phoned the wounded officer while he recuperated at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital.

Mr. Jones was convicted of attempted murder.

In early 1987, several months after his attack, at his son’s baptism in the same hospital's chapel, Officer McDonald publicly forgave Jones saying, "I forgive him and hope that he can find peace and purpose in his life."

In the summer of 1988, Officer McDonald sent stamps and a box of stationery to Mr. Jones along with a note saying, "Let’s carry on a dialogue." He later met with Mr. Jones’s mother and attended services at a Baptist church in Harlem with his grandmother.

A more detailed account of the officer's forgiveness for his attacker appeared in the foreword of a 2014 book titled, Why Forgive?, which was written by his friend Johann Christoph Arnold.

Detective McDonald made many public appearances over the years, speaking of his faith as a Catholic and reminding people that if they wanted forgiveness, they had to show it to others. He constantly thanked God for sparing his life.

McDonald made trips to Northern Ireland in the sake of reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants. Fr. Mychal F. Judge, the Chaplain of the New York City Fire Department accompanied him.

Fr. Judge was later killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center when debris rained down on him while he was ministering to victims. Fr. Judge was designated as “Victim 0001” of that attack.

At the time of the shooting, Officer McDonald had been married to Patricia Ann “Patti” McDonald for less than a year. The couple was expecting their son Conor.

In March, 2007, Patricia Ann was elected Mayor of Malverne on Long Island.

In 2010, Conor later followed his father's footsteps and joined the NYPD as a fourth-generation police officer. He has achieved the rank of sergeant.

Jones, on his part, served nine years in prison for the shooting. He called Detective McDonald to apologize. They later met briefly.

Jones was later killed in a motorcycle accident on Sept. 9, 1995, three days after his release on parole from prison. He was speeding while performing wheelies in East Harlem, his old neighborhood, and crashed into several parked cars.

In 1989, Detective McDonald co-authored his autobiography, The Steven McDonald Story, with his wife and writer E. J. Kahn. In the book, McDonald thanked his fellow police officers, Mayor Edward Koch, a good friend of the Church, and many in the religious and business communities. Detective McDonald wrote that "there is more love in this City than there are street corners."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, released a statement regarding McDonald's passing writing, “Detective Steven McDonald was an icon of mercy and forgiveness, a prophet of the dignity of all human life, a shining example of the best of what the New York Police Department represents, a loving husband and father, and a fervent and faithful Catholic.”

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday, with Cardinal Dolan as the main celebrant.

The police call themselves, the “Thin Blue Line.” They are that last defense of the defenseless in a civil society. How do I know? Just ask the citizens of a war-torn nation ruled by warlords, terrorists and criminal gangs.

The police have a tough job even if every law-abiding citizen supported them. Their job is exacerbated by the unthinking and uncaring and worse yet, those who support the unthinking and uncaring.

We need to support those who unflinchingly and unselfishly support us. They are our rough siblings, parents, spouses and children who allow us to sleep peacefully in our beds at night.

May hosts of angels carry Detective Steven McDonald to his final rest.

As to the police officers who serve and protect us still, may God bless and keep you. May St. Michael the Archangel, Patron of Cops, watch over you all.

But I’m with Odogwu Aganaga: WHO wrote that line if Orwell didn’t? Your readers are hanging!!!

Posted by Ann Hesenius on Tuesday, Jan, 17, 2017 12:32 PM (EDT):

Thank you for coverage of this uplifting story…Det. McDonald was a TRUE hero.
“Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant”...you certainly went WAY above and beyond, and hope your story gets more and more well-known now.

Posted by Archbishop on Monday, Jan, 16, 2017 2:32 PM (EDT):

And if he wasn’t a saint…who is? Start the process!

Posted by Sean on Thursday, Jan, 12, 2017 9:20 AM (EDT):

RIP Steven McDonald. Your reward in heaven is great.

As for Shavod Jones, well, you can’t fix stupid.

Posted by Phil on Thursday, Jan, 12, 2017 12:26 AM (EDT):

Wow! Truly a heroic life!

“Mr. Stagnaro,
I wonder if you are aware that Detective McDonald also joined with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in their monthly prayer vigils for life at various abortion facilities in New York whenever his schedule permitted. He also addressed the New Jersey state legislature when they were debating an embryonic stem cell bill asking them to defeat the measure. It was, thanks to his moving testimony. He was a true hero, and an unflinching Catholic we can all look up to.”

Posted by Odogwu_Aganaga on Wednesday, Jan, 11, 2017 2:18 PM (EDT):

may steve’s soul rest in the Lord. so if not orwell who wrote those lines??? you forgot that!

Posted by Kevin Moore on Wednesday, Jan, 11, 2017 12:34 PM (EDT):

Mr. Stagnaro,
I wonder if you are aware that Detective McDonald also joined with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in their monthly prayer vigils for life at various abortion facilities in New York whenever his schedule permitted. He also addressed the New Jersey state legislature when they were debating an embryonic stem cell bill asking them to defeat the measure. It was, thanks to his moving testimony. He was a true hero, and an unflinching Catholic we can all look up to.

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Angelo Stagnaro (“Erasmus”) performs as a stage magician and mentalist and divides his time between Europe and North America. He is the editor of “Smoke & Mirrors,” the Net’s largest e-zine for professional magicians. He’s also the Guildmaster of the Catholic Magicians’ Guild and a professed member of the Secular Franciscans (Third Order Franciscans)

Angelo has published articles in most of the major Catholic journals in the United States and Great Britain and had worked as a correspondent for the Catholic News Service having served as principle liaison for the wire service to the United Nations and to the Holy See’s Office to the United Nations.

Angelo has authored six books on mentalism/cold reading including Conspiracy, Something from Nothing, The Other Side, Shibboleth and his upcoming Spur of the Moment. This series has been translated into four languages and is considered seminal in the art of mentalism. He is also one of the world’s experts in cold reading. In addition, he’s written an instructional book for catechists which uses stage magic as a teaching tool for children and young adults entitled The Catechist’s Magic Kit. (Crossroad) His other books include How to Pray the Dominican Way (Paraclete) and The Christian Book of the Dead. (Crossroad) His most recent book was released through Tau Publishing and is entitled A Lenten Cookbook for Catholics.

All of his theology books have received imprimaturs and nihil obstat from Bishop Nicholas DeMarzio of Brooklyn.

Angelo has traveled extensively and has worked, studied, performed and/or traveled in 70 countries.